Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-08-13
DAILY HERALD.
THURSDAYS OUTRAGE.
Capture of the Tramp who As
saulted Dagmar Zacharfae.

Capture OF the Tramp VINO As.
saulted Dagmar Zachariac.
In yesterdays HERALD was publish
ed the fact Of the brutal outrage on
the person OF little Dagmar, the ten
year old daughter of William Zacha-
riae, a Swede. The whole community
was incensed on hearing the case and
many were the unfavorable comments
passed upon the ineficiency of the
police force. Yesterday afternoon a
HERALD reporter called at the city
prison to learn if there were any new
details concerning the case. Chief
Skinner was found perched upon his
chair wearing far away expression
and at the same time guarding a
tramp who was sitting on a chair op-
posite him. In the outer office was
another tramp which Officer Moore
had arrested on suspicion of being the
perpetrater of the fiendish assault.
It app ears that early yesterday morn
ing the brother OF the little girl
strolled away from the house short
distance and when near the Yuma
bridge he saw Il cluster of tramps
standing, talking. He fingered
around them for quite while and
finally recognized one of them as the
one who assaulted his little sister.
He ran over to Officer Gates house,
near by, and found that the vigilant
officer was on his beat, but his wife
was at home. He told her his story,
and she went out and telephoned to
the police station for an officer. In
the meantime she watched the tramps
and in a short time Officer Botello ar
rested all three and took them over to
the house where the little girl lay ,and
she, without a moments hesitancy,
recognized one of them as her assail-
ant. He was taken to the city prison
and seated in the Chiefs private Of
flee. The reporter, fearing that it
would be another Gormlee case and
that the fellow would be discharged
for want OF sufficient evidence to con-
vict him, started out on tour OF in
quiry. He hired team and drove
over to the vicinity of the outrage.
Arriving at 100 Leroy street, cor
ner of Vine, he found an old
lady standing upon the stoop. |
He accosted her and in reply to
his questions she stated that on
Thursday, about noon, she saw a |
tramp 90 over to the Zachariae resi-
dence. He stood outside the house
and leaned talking on the gate to the
little girl on the stoop. Presently he
went inside and shut the door. She |
called her husband, who was in the |
house, and he asked a little boy who |
was in the yard to watch and see |
when the tramp emerged. They then
went in to lunch and thought no more
of the matter. Presently the boy
called out and the old lady and gen.
tleman came out just in time to see
the tramp going over the railroad
track. Both Mr.. and Mrs. Cotter
gave a description of the fellow which
exactly corresponds with the person
captured. Two little boys named
Campbell, who also live close by, say
that they saw the tramp 60 into the
house and come out. They watched
him carefully and identified Williams
as the culprit. Mrs. Augusta Mayer,
q handsome young brunette who
moved intoathe Zachariae residence on
Thursday morning, says that she also
saw the tramp. She came home
about noon on Thursday and entered
the back door. When she got inside
she heard the little girls sobs
and on going into the front
room found her lying on the bed with
all h,r clothes torn off. She looked
out of the window and saw tramp
crossing the road some distance away:
The HERALD reporter then returned
to the city prison and gave the partic-
ulars to Chief Skinner. That individ-
ual then concluded that the evidence
was sufficient and Williams was
booked upon charge of rape. He
protested his innocence, but there is
not shadow of doubt but that he is
the culprit. The little brother of the
girl visited the city prison late in the
afternoon and picked out Williams
from among cell full of prisoners.
He also stated that the man who as
saulted his sister had number of
sores on the back of his right hand
and a sore thumb. On examining
Williams these marks were found
upon him. The brute will be exam
spod hoforo Iuefica Auatin TO-DAY